Method of preparing battery-zincs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MASON, OF BROOKLYN, NE? YORK.

METHOD OF PREPARlNG BATTERY-ZlNdS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,684, dated May 27,1890.

Apnlication filed February 8, 1889- Serial No. 299,177. (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES II. MASON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in the Method of Preparing Battery-Zincs, of which the following is a specification.

Prior to my invention battery-zines have been made of either rolled orcast plates. The rolled plates are much more durable than the castplates; but they were heretofore amalgamated only on the surface byrubbing the mercury upon the plates, and this surface amalgamation doesnot last long in use, so that the plates have to be reamalgamated atfrequent intervals.- The cast plates are very brittle and are easilybroken; but they have the advantage that they can be produced ofahomogeneous composition of mercury and zinc by mixing the mercury withthe zinc in a crucible while the zinc is in a fused or molten conditionand then casting the plates.

The object of my invention is to produce abattery-zinc which is strongand durable and which is amalgamated throughout, so that the plate canbe used without reamalgamation until it is used up.

In practicing my invention I take a strong zinc plate, preferably arolled plate, and heat it to a suitable temperature, preferably to adark-red heat. I then immerse the heated plate in an amalgamatingsolution of any suitable composition, preferably a solution prepared inthe proportion of one pound of mercury to one and one-half pound ofnitric acid and nine pounds of muriatic acid. The heating of the platecauses the molecules of the zinc to separate or the pores of the zinc toopen, so that upon its immersion the amalgamating solution permeates theentire body of the plate and conveys the mercury to every part thereof,causing the plate to become completely impregnated with the mercury. 'Animmersion lasting a very short time, usually about a quarter of aminute, is sufficient to effect a thorough amalgamation of the plate. Arolled plate prepared in this manner is strong and durable, so that itcan be manipulated and holes be drilled through it without liability ofbreakage, while it is thoroughly amalgamated, so that no reamalgamationwill be required.

I claim as my invention The method of preparing battery zincs, whichconsists in first heating the zinc and then immersing it in anamalgamating solution composed of mercury and acid, whereby the zinc isthoroughly amalgamated, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 1st day of February, 1889.

JAMES H. MASON.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE FENN, ROBERT Woon.

